Bampton

Today's bike route was Planned!  The key is to make the forward journey harder and the return easier. Which I failed to do with the Tarka trial expedition. Google maps gives the elevation profile which helps the planning. And the return journey was wonderful instead of being gruelling!

Outward journey to Bampton via main roads

Return journey via side roads, mostly downhill

My track 27 miles 476m elevation gain

A duck race?  

Great Western Canal

Click here for original

My track, 26.1 miles

The goal - to traverse the whole of the Great Western Canal Country Park cycle route on Jenny's bicycle before it changes hands, to explore the canal beyond the Country Park, and to buy some carrots for Sunday's dinner. Click here if you are interested in some canal history.

OpenTopoMap showing hill contours

So I cycled to Tiverton (6 miles) to the terminal canal basin which is strangely situated on the side of a hill. In its hay-day when used to transport goods by barge - how did they man-handle the goods from this terminus to where-ever?

Canal basin, Tiverton

Being a canal with no locks for the 11 navigable miles, the tow path is of course level and thus ideal for cycling. Being a Saturday there were lots of walkers and a few other cyclists which slows one down a tad, but altogether very enjoyable.  As my cell-phone was strapped with insulation tape to the bike frame and thus somewhat inaccessible, I took no photos till I got to the other end.

The other end of the 11.42 navigable miles

Plaque at the other end, click to enlarge

Just before the other end is a short tunnel (40 yards) which the tow path and thus I circumnavigated. The final other end was once the first (Lowdwells) lock since Tiverton. The first part of my mission complete, my next was to investigate whether the footpaths that follow the now largely dry remains of the canal from here to Taunton were navigable by bicycle. The short answer is "no"...

OS 1:25000 map

I got as far as Greenham - along the way once sinking to wheel hub depth in mud and many times pushing nettles and brambles out of the way whilst hardly balancing between hedgerows either side and finally hauling the bike over a style in Greenham. The continuation of the footpath there appeared even more formidable as so instead I detoured slightly to wash myself and bicycle in the river Tone and then returned on metalled roads via Whiteball to the A38 and thence home (8.75 miles including the difficult footpath).

One day maybe I'll drive to Greenham, park and explore the footpaths on foot, as there are what promises to be interesting remains of boat lifts, an aqueduct over the Tone and locks on the way. Although making it all the way to Taunton and back might be a tall order!  For a complete walker's map see here.

Oh - and I forgot the carrots. So, after hose-spraying the remaining mud off the bicycle, I tootled off to the nearby Co-op store thus drying the bike and acquiring said carrots in one operation.

Wellington again

During our last visit to Willand I attempted the Wellington monument and kind of implied that I would actually get there some other time. And so I did. I started the barefoot running aspect of our visit to Ali's mum with a warm-up along the Exe valley whilst Ali was doing what she likes best: shopping...

...and then a few days later the opportunity came - fair weather, no need for lunch because we had taken Ali's mum to Knightshayes (National Trust) tea shop wherein lieth fruit scones, and so I set off telling myself there was no shame should I fail to make it all the way. And made it there and back. To check out the scaffolding, I told my alter ego (the less adventurous one).

The whole track

The interesting part

I figured I must have run (the term includes some walking) over 20 miles so, on returning and checking my cell phone, I was a bit miffed that I had "only" clocked up 19.55 miles.  With elevation gain 620m and average speed moving 5.3 mph.

I used footpaths where feasible and some were exceedingly muddy, but I had my waterproof bare feet on so a quick wash in the river Culm where I left it at Uffculme sorted that.

In case you have not been following my Wellington monument interest, it is currently the subject of a major restoration program and is completely covered in scaffolding.  Worth a visit just to see the amount of effort they have expended so far.

The outward route was by road to Black Down Common (home of the Culmstock Beacon) and thence to the monument. Then returning via a very pleasant footpath to within a stone's throw of Hemyock, at least it would have been more pleasant if less muddy, then to Culmstock from which I followed the river footpath via Hunkin Wood to Uffculme.  As usual you can click on the images to enlarge them.

This detail is a tunnel to protect pedestrian access to a footpath going North towards the town of Wellington.  BTW in my first post I supposed the town got its name from the first duke. In fact the town preceded himself and he was named after it.

The Culm valley looking towards the West

Within a stone's throw

In Hunkin Wood

Me (and the river Culm)

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Willand in February

Another trip to visit Ali's mum, this time with family C&O, T&P, J&M and S&K. You'll find family pictures in Facebook leaving this blog to just record some other events.

On the way down there was a bad crash on the M5 closing both carriageways for most of the day, so we diverted (with most of the rest of the UK it would seem) through Taunton and past this amazing church building.

St Mary's church Taunton

fantastic detail of tower stonework

I managed three runs, the third very short fitted in between a marathon shop at Morrisons and picking up the rest of my party in downtown Tiverton. During which I took the following photos ending with a shot of the formerly ellusive river Exe.

Bradfield House in early morning light

Bradfield chapel

Culm water meadows

The river Exe at Tiverton

The marathon shopping list might not seem that long but the items were disparate and it was a bit like playing hide and seek. One membefr of staff, noticing my perplexed look, asked if I needed help. I declined and managed to haul in all the items in a mere 40 minutes. I'm thinking of a new TV show in which a team of husbands are given identical shopping lists (like the one below) and sent off to separate supermarkets in towns they have never before visited. The first to complete is the winner. Numerous variations come to mind.

twin pack Morrisons' own brand tiramisu, no other brand will do
Morrisons' breaded ham slices
Morrisons' shepherd pie fresh microwavable
box of paracetemol capsules
box of Melba toast
two bananas
dark chocolate butter biscuits with no palm oil
300ml single cream
300ml double cream
frozen petis pois
one carrot
tin of pears NOT in grape juice
Great-Grandma-afternoon-tea sort of cake

X marks the spot

I left Willand just before 0700 with newly acquired LED headlamp installed to ward off vehicles, it being dark at that hour. The weather was thankfully warm and dry just as forecasted the previous evening.

My track: 14.3 miles average 5.22 mph

The reason for the lower than average average speed was the ascent out of the Exe valley which was mostly at walking pace on account of the state of the path, the gradient and my limited zeal.

First sight of Tiverton

Grand Western Canal basin with ducks

Although dawn started to happen soon after I left, it was still fairly dark when I reached Tiverton, witness the above pictures. For those interested the canal terminates in Tiverton in the basin shown. It is still navigable along this part of its reach and there are occasional house boats moored.

Detail: X marks the river Exe

The X marks the chosen goal - I have no photographic evidence of this river as this would have required clambering down between trees and it was enough just to get there. So you will just have to take my word for it. That - I DID RUN FROM WILLAND TO THE RIVER EXE AND BACK! All by myself.

Here I left the Exe Valley Way

The Exe Valley Way follows an existing road southwards from Tiverton to this point where I turned off it: the river itself is the other side of the fields in this picture. My chosen route followed a muddy bridleway ascending steeply across farmland.

The ascent was stony and not kind to bare feet

Looking back over the Exe valley

Looking forward to the dawn

This communications mast was at the highest point in my run (marked 236m on the map) making it worthy of a picture. But I could not stop to investigate - I was already running late and had to get back and be washed and breakfasted before the gang arrived.

Mast at summit near Gogwell farm

The reason for the run was because I had a quest. The reason it had to be early morning was in the knowledge that the the rest of the day would be taken with a Cox family reunion. Coffee and cake at Knightshayes, lunch at home, afternoon chit-chat in the Grandma's lounge, all topped off by steak and kidney pie à la Alison followed by ice-cream and chocolate sauce (also à la Alison).

Family reunion at Knightshayes coffee shop

A quest for X

26th and 28th December runs

On a previous visit my quest was Culmstock Beacon. Is it, of course, good for one's psychology to have a goal and, this time, I have chosen the Exe: that river that flows of course through Exeter. Its nearest approach to Willand is at Tiverton so, if you will, Tiverton is the goal. We drive there often for shopping (no expedition with Ali would be complete without frequent recourse to shops) but I have hitherto assumed it was beyond my running reach.


26th run - clockwise in blue on my map - 9.55 miles.

Actually the X goal had not yet quite resolved itself and I set out rather to explore high ground to the west of Cullompton, returning via Brithem Bottom (all roads around in the locality appear to lead there) and Halberton. It rained for the whole duration of my run, steadily increasing in intensity. I was glad to get back. In fact I cannot think of a time that I have not been glad to get back after a long run.

Beacon lane

descending Forges Hill

rain on Halberton duck pomd

Yesterday's run - anticlockwise in red on my map - 11.14 miles, average 6 mph.

This time I wanted to explore the track of the GWR railway between Tiverton and Willand, as cycle way. Regrettably not metalled I found I was running on the remains of ballast, not comfortable barefoot. Sad that the railway no longer exists but good that at least a small stretch has been preserved as a cycle way. I met several dog walkers, two boys who commented on my feet, though no cyclists. You'd need a mountain bike I think.

Grand Canal at Halberton

joining the cycle way

once steam locomotives thundered here

where I left the cycle way for smoother ground

Tiverton

Grand Canal near Tidcombe Hall

The second canal crossing marked the furthest extent of my run. The return was, of course, via Brithem Bottom, and the roads were still icy in parts where the winter sun had not yet reached.

PV array between Willand and Cullompton

the day is dying

The river Exe remains my goal. Whether I make it on this trip I know not but, if and when I do, it will be significantly longer than yesterday's run, maybe 15 miles. Which is kind of scary.